Neil McCormick comments on NLOTH

[zwervers2]

you forgot logical option 4 - They are all around 50 years old, and touring for over a year takes it out of them, and they want to spend time with their families. So 1.5 years may be a little harsh.

You are right about the familystuff and the age, off course. They are not 20 anymore or 30 for that matter. I just wrote half a page of reasons I hate this rich vein remark but I deleted it becasue it annoys the hell out of me and in the grand sceme of my life it is not very important to get too mad about. Let's just hope that they at least have been able to write 11 good songs in 4,5 years because the last 2 records failed misserably at delivering the goods for such a great band. How many absolutely great songs have they written since 2000? I am sorry to say not that much. Most of the songs with a few acceptions on the last 2 record are in no way in the same league (when you look at the songwriting itself) as songs on AB or JT for instance. Also not as experimental or daring as Zooropa or Pop. This has nothing to do with personal taste as far as I am concerned. They have written maybe 10 really exceptional songs in 11 years. Lets just hope the average will improve with this new record. I have a feeling it will. They have a great productionteam. Visited exciting places and they seem motivated. I really hope I finally feel that butterflies(last time was when I bought ATYCLB) again. Butterflies are nice

I am a big fan and allways will be. no one can accuse me of being narrowminded when it concerns my life accompanying band. I expect brilliance because I have seen and heared brilliance, that's all.

time for a pint

cheers y'all

 

[RhodyFan]

Interesting idea. I note that Brian Eno and Coldplay did the same thing with Lost! and Lost? on Viva la Vida. I actually like the piano version of that one better.

Also, Bono made a point of mentioning how the differences in Frank Sinatra's "My Way" from his youth versus his renditions in old age was fascinating to him. Perhaps there are two version of the song from two different perspectives. Maybe one form a place of despair and one from a place of hope at the end. At least I would hope that is the sequence!

Anyway, love interpreting stuff like this. It's what makes being a fan of U2 funa nd interesting.

 

[Niceman]

I guess there were really only two things for them to do with the "alternate version."
They could put it at the end, or make it the B-side to the main version. Hopefully, this will be a little more satisfying.....

 

[KUEFC09U2]

haha all i can say is this is typical interference again, "omgzzz where only gonna get the punk version oh nozzzz",

U2: "Ok lets put the 2 version on, having one as a bonus track"

Some posters here "omgedfdzz thats "lame" why cant they just have one version, they are full of BS bla bla bla"

 

[solemole]

maybe the album is so far out there... it's punk rock from Pluto

 

[mgokelly]

I think the twist McCormack refers to is Cedars, but nice find re: NLOTH 2.

I have to agree, I think McCormack was refering to COL. NLOTH 2 will probably show up if NLOTH1 was released as a single (NLOTH2 as a b side). My reading of Q at the time was that they were trying to choose which version to put on the album, hopefully they'll put a new song like EBW or Winter as a hidden track and not a remixed version of the same song.

 

[digsy]

I have to agree, I think McCormack was refering to COL. NLOTH 2 will probably show up if NLOTH1 was released as a single (NLOTH2 as a b side). My reading of Q at the time was that they were trying to choose which version to put on the album, hopefully they'll put a new song like EBW or Winter as a hidden track and not a remixed version of the same song.

agreed, i would also rather have a new song, but aren't several CD retailers already listing NLOTH 2?

and i suppose its not so much a remix as a completely different version if Q is anything to go on.

 

[Acrobatic]

... that the album has two versions of No Line On The Horizon. Alternate version (#12) as hidden track?

Maybe with all the night and day speculation, track 12 will be an entirely different album since they had so many tracks.

Probably a bit out there. . .

I digress. . .I would settle for a Zooropa timeline release of a 2nd!

 

[bram]

LAME!!! We wait so long and all they can give us is a different version of a song already on the album! The only excuse for this is that they're putting out another album soon.

Have you ever heard a little album called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"?

 

[eas]

"Killer Twist" could definitely be Breathe-and then COL for the comedown

 

[bram]

hopefully (although im fairly certain it will be) it isnt only the bonus track version with it.

if it is a true album, it should be on all forms

Exactly. U2 can't have 2 different closers on the album. I only want a bonus track that doesn't "fit" at the end.

 

[PowerSurge]

It would reference U2's use of Vertigo as an opener and closer on the last tour, in addition to giving an element of "continuous finality" to the album.

I agree. I personally loved when they did that on the last tour. You kind of get tired of the slow "prayer" type ending song. Who knows? maybe they end the album with more ambient version....maybe its the rocking version?

I love it.

I'm thinking that #1 is the ambient version, and number #12 is the rocker. It would be awesome if they opened and closed with the two different versions... only maybe the rocker version as the opener and the ambient version as the closer.

The Horizon Tour.

I hope its the rocking version. It would be a nice change of pace. I can't remember any previous U2 albums that end on a true "rock" or "full force" type of song.

^Most stupid post of the year

now...now....

I think its at least TOP 10....but not the BEST

maybe the album is so far out there... it's punk rock from Pluto

Well, seeing that Pluto is now a moon....could it be rock from Neptune?

 

[bram]

Anyone who thought that the "50-60 songs" comment indicated we were getting more songs than on a normal album deserves to be disappointed. Really deserves it.

If 100 songs in 2000 = 11 on ATYCLB, then 50-60 = 6?

 

[bram]

October ended on a rocking note. One of my pet theories is that this is why this album gets a lot of shit...it would've been better to have ended with Scarlet or October.

 

[MMP]

maybe the album is so far out there... it's punk rock from Pluto

Pluto

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

They'll probably release the rest of their 50-60 works, don't tour, spend time with family, and watch the cash flow in from their future six studio albums.

They'll never have to walk out of their mansions again.

im glad you used mansions in the plural form. Afterall doesn't Larry Mullen own several mansions...all in a row...like his own private village / compound? Just like Big Love. Speaking of big love....Adam Clayton lives high up on a hill, i guess he owns that hill, in America you have the Hollywood Hills so i suppose in Ireland you have the Clayton Hills. Bono lives by the sea doesn't he? Bono's Beach on the Hewson Sea. I have no idea what Edge owns, on this earth anyway.....but he obviously owns Venus (and now apparently Pluto)

 

[nirniva]

Interesting idea. I note that Brian Eno and Coldplay did the same thing with Lost! and Lost? on Viva la Vida. I actually like the piano version of that one better.

There's another version of Lost!? Sweet! I'm going to iTunes.
On-topic, don't worry too much...even if NLOTH 2 isn't released in North America, it'll still be pretty easy to find. In fact, it might even be on the Japanese version that comes out in late February which we'll all probably break down and listen to the day it leaks!

 

[nirniva]

Have you ever heard a little album called "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"?

im glad you used mansions in the plural form. Afterall doesn't Larry Mullen own several mansions...all in a row...like his own private village / compound? Just like Big Love. Speaking of big love....Adam Clayton lives high up on a hill, i guess he owns that hill, in America you have the Rocky Mountains so i suppose in Ireland you have the Clayton Hills. Bono lives by the sea doesn't he? Bono's Beach on the Hewson Sea. I have no idea what Edge owns, on this earth anyway.....but he obviously owns Venus (and now apparently Pluto)

Don't forget about that slice he took out of the SPACE MOON!

 

[jphelmet]

because the last 2 records failed misserably at delivering the goods for such a great band. How many absolutely great songs have they written since 2000? I am sorry to say not that much. Most of the songs with a few acceptions on the last 2 record are in no way in the same league (when you look at the songwriting itself) as songs on AB or JT for instance. Also not as experimental or daring as Zooropa or Pop. This has nothing to do with personal taste as far as I am concerned. They have written maybe 10 really exceptional songs in 11 years.

this is hilarious. this forum is so over the top on personal opinions stated as facts, its just funny now.

i think there is a huge herd mentality around here. if you say bomb and atyclb suck really bad enough times, it becomes the consensus. it's very entertaining.

i think there are more great songs on bomb, and atyclb than pop and zooropa and thats "has nothing to do with personal taste". (see how ridiculous that sounds when i had that quote at the end?)

 

[thelaj]

10 exceptional songs in two albums is pretty good? (i think it is less than 10 )

 

[Acrobat08]

this is hilarious. this forum is so over the top on personal opinions stated as facts, its just funny now.

i think there is a huge herd mentality around here. if you say bomb and atyclb suck really bad enough times, it becomes the consensus. it's very entertaining.

i think there are more great songs on bomb, and atyclb than pop and zooropa and thats "has nothing to do with personal taste". (see how ridiculous that sounds when i had that quote at the end?)

Well I might be alone here but I thought Bomb sucked from day one and I still think it does. I think it has some decent songs but cohesively I don't think it flows. It's not remotely in the same league as Joshua or Achtung.

 

[MMP]

^Here we go...

 

[Jippu71]

yeah, it's interesting how almost all threads eventually are about who likes/hates which album and why...

 

[ramblin rose]

this is hilarious. this forum is so over the top on personal opinions stated as facts, its just funny now.

i think there is a huge herd mentality around here. if you say bomb and atyclb suck really bad enough times, it becomes the consensus. it's very entertaining.

i think there are more great songs on bomb, and atyclb than pop and zooropa and thats "has nothing to do with personal taste". (see how ridiculous that sounds when i had that quote at the end?)

Yeah, I know. Personally, I think both ATYCLB & HTDAAB are much better albums than Boy & War.

But if you're young I guess it's just cooler to think the recent albums are terrible (even though in a lot of cases those are the albums that got you into U2). I think a lot of that is going on in this forum lately.

But that's fine with me, I was lucky enough to see U2 on every tour since Boy and could care less what other people think.

 

[MMP]

Yeah, I know. Personally, I think both ATYCLB & HTDAAB are much better albums than Boy & War.

But if you're young I guess it's just cooler to think the recent albums are terrible (even though in a lot of cases those are the albums that got you into U2). I think a lot of that is going on in this forum lately.

But that's fine with me, I was lucky enough to see U2 on every tour since Boy and could care less what other people think.

Except for the last part, I'm not that lucky.

 

[zwervers2]

i think there are more great songs on bomb, and atyclb than pop and zooropa and thats "has nothing to do with personal taste". (see how ridiculous that sounds when i had that quote at the end?)

ridiculous indeed because that is not what I said. I was talking about great songwriting of AB/JT and expiremental like POP, zooropa.

have a nice weekend

 

[jphelmet]

Well I might be alone here but I thought Bomb sucked from day one and I still think it does. I think it has some decent songs but cohesively I don't think it flows. It's not remotely in the same league as Joshua or Achtung.

thats fine. i don't think bomb is as good as joshua tree or ab, but that doesn't mean it sucks. jt, and ab are two of my all time favorite albums. bomb, not in the same league, but a very solid album.

i for one don't give a whole lot of weight of how an album flows (see how subjective this all is). that has very little bearing on whether it is good to me.

 

[Hitman]

Man, this board is full of whiners. People complaining about

songs they haven't even heard and cover art.

I guarantee these people will complain about the album.

 

[medley]

Cohesive, cohesive... what a big word!

What about diversity and how exactly is cohesion supposed to be a better thing creatively speaking than diversity? Putting the same kind of songs in one album is surely easier than creating tracks with very different atmospheres, structures, influences, etc. And speaking for myself, I think a diversified album is also less boring than a too "cohesive" one. If there is one thing I would criticized AB for that is this: too cohesive/not diversified enough and on the other hand that's exactly the reason why I like HTDAAB so much.

 

[macfisto]

Man, this board is full of whiners. People complaining about

songs they haven't even heard and cover art.

I guarantee these people will complain about the album.

I totally agree...I come here for info/news/rumours ...not for who likes what that isn't even out yet....

For the people complaining about the album when it comes out....I'll do exactly like I did with the last 2 albums....I won't be coming here anymore: I'll be too busy listening (and likely enjoying) the new album....no need to come here anymore: no more news, no more rumours....just people complaining....well I rather be listening to the album and making my own mind. (and I personnaly don't need to "share" my thoughts that much to make me feel better about the album. I like or not, I will likely keep to myself anyway)